Title: Doing It Herself
Character: Sherry LeBlanc
Chapters: 1-1||Words: 1,021
Genre: General||Rated: G
Challenges: Diversity Writing, YGO DM/5Ds/VRAINS, C14, K rated; Chapter Set Boot Camp #31, 1 chapter
Notes: I've been rewatching 5ds and I got to Sherry's introduction and this just sort of unfolded in my head.
Summary: Ever since her parents died, Sherry's used to doing things on her own, even if she doesn't have to.

Riding duels allowed duelists to read one another's hearts and souls. She'd read Fudou Yuusei's very clearly during their duel and she hoped that he'd read hers – enough to agree to come duel alongside her in the WRGP at least. He didn't look convinced yet but she still had plenty of time until then.

Perhaps she'd lure him out to duel him again. Or duel those so-called partners of his, Jack Atlas and Crow Hogan. If she could defeat them, then perhaps he'd see that she was the far better choice for a partner?

Maybe. She'd think it through and see what she could do. But for now, she had something else to do. She stared into the bathroom mirror and sighed.

Riding duels allowed one to read the heart of one's opponent. They did nothing at all for one's hair. And in all fairness, she needed a hot shower. It wasn't just the riding itself – which ended up covering her in dust and grime – but the dueling as well. Most of all, she needed to brush her hair.

She lifted up part of it with one hand. More tangles than she cared to think about and that was even with the best products she could get her hands on. She stared at the brush on the counter – also a very well made, expensive one, and it would probably be retired in another few days. With all the hair that she had and all the care that she had to put into said hair, she went through brushes like nobody's business.

Sherry started brushing. She knew she could have help if she wanted it, but she didn't. She wanted to take care of this herself. She'd done as much on her own as she could for the last few years. She could at least brush her own hair.

It wasn't an easy task. Riding duels exhausted her as well. Not as much as they had in the beginning, when she'd practically fallen asleep moments after getting off her D-Wheel. In the moment of dueling, when the wind tore through her, she cared about nothing but the wind, the speed, and the duel. How filthy she got or how many tangles her hair ended up in didn't matter.

But she couldn't stay in the wind forever, no matter how much she wanted to. Which meant she needed to clean herself up and brush her hair and look somewhat decent once again.

The more she brushed the more she reflected on the duel. Who might have won? She'd shuffled her deck at her earliest opportunity so she didn't know. She wanted to believe that she would have – but every duelist wanted to believe they would win the duel.

Maybe her next duel against Yuusei – and there would be one – would give her the answer to that. Or perhaps she'd even have the chance to duel that psychic duelist. Was she a D-Wheeler as well? Would she want to duel?

She would have to do research to find out who that was. She'd heard a great deal about Yuusei, the winner of the Fortune Cup, who'd defeated the King Jack Atlas. Rumor also had it that he and his friends saved the world. That, she really did want to learn more about. If he really had done that, then she really wasn't going to rest until she got him on her team. How could she lose when she had the savior of the world on her team?

There wasn't even a question of bribing him. A true duelist and a true D-Wheeler couldn't be bribed in the first place. As he'd clearly shown just today, kidnapping him wasn't an option. It could be done, but he wouldn't co-operate. Sherry wanted him to co-operate. She wanted him to help her because he had experience in this world-saving thing and someone had to do it, didn't they?

If he wouldn't, then she'd do it herself. Whatever Illiaster's plans were, she would bring them to a screeching halt. If it cost her her very life, then she wasn't that worried about it.

At least she'd see her parents again, if that were the case. It had been so long and there were times when she didn't think she remembered their faces all that well any more. It was more experiences than anything else – being held in their arms, trips that they'd taken together, the rough feel of her father's beard against her skin, the strength of her mother's arms around her.

The feel of the brush going through her hair as they took turns brushing it out. They'd done that for her every morning and every night, making sure her hair looked its best no matter what. She'd learned how to do it herself – afterward.

She didn't cry this time. She had before, when she remembered anything about them. But she'd wept herself dry so long ago and now all those tears were replaced by a burning rage that sought any sort of expression. The best she found was when she D-Wheeled, when the wind fanned the fires in her heart to their greatest heights.

Her thoughts settled down as she finished working all the knots out. Overall it hadn't been that bad – she'd have to remember that she should wear her helmet while D-Wheeling. Protections remained in place, but accidents could always happen. She'd seen it before. If she cracked her skull open, she wouldn't be able to get that revenge.

That was the main reason she took good care of herself. If she didn't do these things – didn't eat, didn't sleep, didn't keep herself in good condition, wasn't ruthless in her dueling – then she wouldn't avenge them. Sherry couldn't live with the thought of not accomplishing that, not after all this time.

So she would do it. She would take care of herself. If she couldn't persuade Yuusei to help her, then she'd do it all herself. It would hardly be the first time.

But revenge would be hers. If it cost her her life, then that would be a very small price to pay.

The End

Notes: It's been five years since I wrote 5Ds. And I can't shake the feeling that I will write Sherry x Aki in the future.